India’s Boxing, Wrestling and Hockey Gold Rush at Asian Games

India produced a major medal rush at the Asian Games, led by three boxing gold medals, a dramatic wrestling triumph and a historic women’s hockey title. Archery, sailing and sepak takraw also added medals on a packed day in Aichi-Nagoya as the Games moved into their final stretch.

The boxing contingent won all three finals it contested, while Sujeet Kalkal delivered India’s first wrestling gold at the Asian Games in eight years. The women’s hockey team added another landmark result by beating China 1-0 in the final, ending a 44-year wait for the continental crown.

Boxing sweep leads India’s medal surge

Lovlina Borgohain opened the boxing gold-medal run with a unanimous-decision victory over China’s Bao Zi Yi in the women’s 75kg final. The win made Lovlina the first Indian woman boxer to win Asian Games gold since Mary Kom’s success at the 2014 Incheon Games.

Parveen Hooda then edged Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien-chin 3-2 in the women’s 65kg final. Her narrow victory ensured a second boxing gold for India before Ankush Panghal completed the sweep in the men’s 80kg final, defeating South Korea’s Kim Min Seong.

Those three results gave India a perfect return from its boxing finals on the day and formed the centerpiece of the wider medal haul.

In wrestling, Kalkal recovered from a 2-9 deficit against Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev in the men’s freestyle 65kg final to win 10-9. The comeback secured India’s first wrestling gold at the Asian Games in eight years. Kalkal had already produced a significant semifinal result, beating Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka on criteria after their bout finished 3-3.

Not every wrestling result went India’s way. Dipanshi Phogat finished fourth after losing her 50kg bronze-medal bout, while Rajat Ruhal and Priya Malik were awaiting repechage following opening-round defeats.

Women’s hockey and archery create more history

India’s women’s hockey team beat China 1-0 in the final to secure Asian Games gold for the first time since 1982. Lalremsiami scored the only goal in the 10th minute, on her 200th international appearance.

China applied sustained pressure late in the match, including a penalty stroke and a pulled goalkeeper, but India held on for the title. The victory also qualified the team for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, adding further importance to a result that ended the long wait for Asian Games gold.

Archery brought another breakthrough as Ankita Bhakat, Kirti and Kumkum Mohod won India’s first-ever Asian Games gold in the women’s recurve team event. India also collected silver in the men’s recurve team and mixed recurve team competitions, with Dhiraj Bommadevara featuring in both finals.

Further medals came from sailing and sepak takraw. Nethra Kumanan earned bronze in the women’s dinghy, while India’s men’s quadrant team won a historic bronze, the country’s first Asian Games medal in that event.

Elsewhere, Pranavi Urs shot a four-under 66 in the third round of the golf competition to take the sole lead at 15-under, while the Indian women’s team stood second. India’s volleyball team defeated South Korea 3-1 in its fifth-to-eighth-place classification match and remained in contention for fifth place.

With gold medals across boxing, wrestling, hockey and archery, India’s results delivered both immediate success and several landmark achievements during the final phase of the Asian Games.